by Sam Short
“Enjoy your evening,” said Emily.
“You, too,” said Millie. She smiled at George. “And you.”
As she walked away from the table, she took a deep breath. It was still proving to be nerve-wracking when she intruded on her father and Judith, but it was becoming more natural, and anyway, Judith had accepted her as the sister she’d always wanted, never once showing any jealousy or animosity towards her.
The restaurant door creaked as she stepped from the bar, and into the room which smelled delicious. A waiter rushed past her with a tray heavy with meat, and a family laughed as they joked together.
And then Millie saw her family seated at a circular table in a corner, both of them smiling at her, and her sister waving.
“Millie,” said her father, getting to his feet, his smile wide and happy. “You look beautiful!”
“Thank you,” said Millie, settling into the hug her father offered.
Lowering herself into the seat her father pulled out for her, Millie smiled at Judith as she filled a glass with red wine.
“Dad chose the wine,” said Judith, a fake grimace on her face. “So don’t blame me.”
Millie lifted the glass to her nose. She took a long theatrical sniff, and screwed up her nostrils. “I’m getting vinegar and old socks,” she laughed.
“Oi, you two,” said her dad, his eyes twinkling. “Don’t gang up on your father! And there’s nothing wrong with the wine. It’s the house special.”
“I’m sure it will taste just fine,” said Millie. “After three glasses.”
“If you don’t want it, don’t drink it,” laughed the big man. “It means more for me.”
Millie sipped her drink and smiled. “It tastes, fine, Dad.”
“That still sounds weird,” said Judith. “You calling him Dad, but it sounds so right, too.”
Their father smiled. “And it feels nice,” he said. He lifted his glass and held it toward the centre of the table. “A toast,” he said. “To the two most wonderful girls in the world. The girls who I’m honoured to call my daughters, and the girls who I will do anything for. I love you both, and I want you both to know that I’m here for you, at any time, and for anything.” He lifted his glass higher. “To family.”
“To family,” said Millie, blinking away tears as she clinked glasses and sipped her wine.
“Are you okay, sis?” said Judith, taking Millie’s hand in hers. “Don’t cry. You’ll get red eyes.”
“That doesn’t matter,” said Sergeant Spencer, taking an envelope from his inside pocket. “I have something for you two that will get rid of puffiness under your eyes.” He placed the envelope on the table. “I won them at the raffle. Two tickets for a day of pampering at the Golden Sands Spa and Restaurant. I thought it was the perfect place for two sisters to go for their first day out together as siblings.”
As more tears filled Millie’s eyes, and she squeezed Judith’s hand, she glanced to her right as movement in a dark corner caught her eye. She smiled at the woman with long brown hair and a slight bend in her nose, and she let out a sob as her mother’s voice reached her, only perceptible to her ears. “I love you, Millie, and I’m so proud of you.”
Millie nodded, sobbing with happiness as her father wiped a tear from below her eye with a thumb. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m trying not to cry.”
Her father shook his head. “You cry for as long as you like, and when you’ve finished, we’ll be here for you when you want to cry again. We’ll always be here for you. We’re family.”
The End
Check out Sam’s next series here!
Also by Sam Short
The Pepper Grinder Series
A Dash Of Pepper - Book One
Don’t forget to read the complete Water Witch Cozy Paranormal Series! The first series by Sam Short.
Book one — Under Lock and Key
Book Two — Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Book Three — An Eye For an Eye
Book Four — A Meeting of Minds
About the Author
Sam Short loves witches, goats, and narrowboats. He really enjoys writing fiction that makes him laugh — in the hope it will make others laugh too!
You can find him at the places listed below — he’d love to see you there!
www.samshortauthor.com
email — [email protected]
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